Puroresuis the predominant style of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of "professional wrestling", which is shortened to puroresu. The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu Tanabe's activities in the online Usenet community. Growing out of origins in the traditional US style of wrestling, it has become an entity in itself. Japanese pro wrestling is distinct in its psychology and presentation of the sport.
Mixed martial artsMixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. During the early 20th century, various interstylistic contests took place throughout Japan and in the countries of the Four Asian Tigers.
Professional wrestling match typesMany types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. Throughout professional wrestling's decades long history, some gimmick matches have spawned many variations of the core concept. The singles match is the most common of all professional wrestling matches, which involves only two competitors competing for one fall.
Professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is an athletic form of theater that revolves around mock combat performed in a squared ring. The storylines are typically based around interpersonal conflicts between good-natured "faces" and villainous "heels". While the ring is the main stage, additional scenes may be recorded for television in the backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television. Professional wrestling as a form of theater evolved out of the commonplace practice of match fixing among American wrestlers stretching back to the late 19th century.